PR 23-24
BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, Dec. 9, 2024
CONTACT: Kevin Wingert, BPA, 971-207-8390 or 503-230-5131
Increased investments in infrastructure lead to proposed rate increases
Portland, Oregon – The Bonneville Power Administration kicked off its formal rate case for fiscal years 2026 to 2028 with a proposal that acknowledges a need to recover increased costs after more than a decade of transmission and power rates at or below inflation. Power rates (effective power Tier 1 rate) are proposed to increase by approximately 10.8% and transmission rates are proposed to increase by an average of 24%. Simultaneously, BPA initiated a tariff proceeding for a proposed tariff that will be effective starting in fiscal year 2026.
“We worked with our customers and other regional stakeholders to develop a plan to meet their increasing load and resource requirement needs, while also meeting our other statutory obligations,” said Joel Cook, chief operating officer for BPA. “The proposed rate increases comes from a combination of inflationary pressure along with greater investments in maintaining and upgrading our power, transmission, and other infrastructure. These investments are critically needed to position Bonneville to meet the growing energy needs of the Pacific Northwest region.”
BPA is a self-financing Power Marketing Administration and is legally required by statute to recover all of its costs through the rates it charges for producing and transmitting power throughout the Pacific Northwest. The proposed rates will be reviewed in a formal administrative hearing (BP-26 rate case), which continues until July 2025. If adopted, the proposed rates would go into effect October 1, 2025, and expire on September 30, 2028.
Along with rate adjustments, BPA also is proposing adjustments to the non-rate terms and conditions of its open access transmission tariff through a separate administrative process known as the TC-26 tariff proceeding. BPA held settlement discussions with prospective parties to the TC-26 and BP-26 proceedings in the fall that resulted in a settlement that became the initial proposal for updates and changes to BPA’s open access transmission tariff in the TC-26 tariff proceeding.
One aspect of the tariff settlement, the adoption of language and proposed charges related to Generator Interconnection Withdrawal Charge also resulted in a partial BP-26 rate settlement, which became part of the initial proposal for the BP-26 rate case.
Federal Register Notices for both the BP-26 and TC-26 were published on November 13 and the initial proposals were released November 22. With the publication of the Federal Register Notices, prohibitions of ex parte communications began. More information on ex parte can be found at the link below:
More information on the BP-26 Rate Case, including the initial proposal, can be found here:
https://www.bpa.gov/energy-and-services/rate-and-tariff-proceedings/bp-26-rate-case
More information on the TC-26 Tariff Proceeding, including the initial proposal, can be found here:
https://www.bpa.gov/energy-and-services/rate-and-tariff-proceedings/tc-26-tariff-proceeding
About BPA: BPA is a federal non-profit power marketing administration that delivers reliable, affordable and carbon-free hydropower produced in the Columbia River Basin to communities across the Northwest. BPA also owns and operates more than 15,000 circuit miles of high-voltage transmission lines and administers one of the largest, most comprehensive fish and wildlife conservation programs in the United States. More information about these and other activities is available on our Media Relations page.
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PR 23-24
BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, Nov. 25, 2024
CONTACT: Maryam Habibi, BPA, 503-230-4413 or 503-230-5131
BPA celebrates 15 years of energy efficiency with the Energy Smart Industrial Program
Portland, OR – The Bonneville Power Administration celebrates the 15th anniversary of its Energy Smart Industrial program, highlighting its profound impact on the industrial sector and pivotal role in advancing energy efficiency across the Pacific Northwest. The program has been instrumental in helping businesses grow, compete and meet the region’s ambitious energy conservation targets.
"The ESI program has transformed how industries view and manage their energy consumption," said Jamae Hilliard Creecy, BPA's Vice President of Energy Efficiency. "Over the past 15 years, BPA has helped utilities to build strong, long-term relationships with their key industrial-end users, paving the way for sustained energy savings, operational improvements with facilities receiving several other non-energy benefits."
In the past 15 years, the program has completed over 7,000 projects focused on industrial process, system, and device-level measures, resulting in over 240 average megawatts in first-year energy savings—enough to power 175,000 Northwest homes.
As the Pacific Northwest prepares to retire over 2,000 aMW of coal generation while integrating a variety of energy resources, BPA’s commitment to industrial energy efficiency remains unwavering. By leveraging the expertise and collaboration of utilities, industries, and regional stakeholders, the ESI program is set to lead the region in achieving greater energy savings, by implementing energy management practices and supporting energy-related climate and national decarbonization goals.
Learn more about the program benefits and the exceptional participation rate in the BPA Newsroom.
About BPA The Bonneville Power Administration is a federal non-profit power marketing administration that delivers reliable, low-cost and carbon-free hydropower produced in the Columbia River Basin to communities across the Northwest. BPA also owns and operates more than 15,000 circuit miles of high-voltage transmission lines and administers one of the largest, most comprehensive fish and wildlife conservation programs in the United States. A leader in promoting energy efficiency, BPA has saved more than 2,500 average megawatts of energy since 1980. More information about these and other activities is available on our Media Relations page.
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